This invention relates generally to a method of separating particulate material from a gas stream and, more specifically, to a method of chemically conditioning a particle-laden gas stream to cause the suspended particles to agglomerate into larger particles so that they may be removed more efficiently by any of the commonly used methods for removing particles, e.g. fabric filters, inertial separators, and electrostatic precipitators.
As man becomes increasingly aware of the need to preserve and protect the quality of his environment, more stringent laws are being passed limiting the amount of particulate matter that may be released to the atmosphere during the mining, processing and consuming of various minerals, fuels, etc. In order to make is possible for industry to comply with these regulations, pollution control hardware companies have developed which offer various devices for removing particles from gas streams. Three types of separator devices that are widely used are fabric filters (bag houses), inertial separators (cyclones), and electrostatic precipitators.